My Regards to The Information Soldier for a complimentary and insightful post.
And now, from the quirkily named Dancing Elephants comes a worthy read. Dive in: you'll be glad you did.
The Magnetic Mindset
Do you have a magnetic mindset? Are others drawn to you? As we define it, a magnetic mindset is one that attracts others. But attracting others is not all there is to being magnetic.
People with a magnetic mindset are rich in many ways. They have discovered how to do what they love, serve others and create a life that brings them happiness. You can increase your own magnetism if you focus and take action on the key magnetic mindset principles that will enhance both your personal and professional lives.
1. Follow Your Passion – Live your life with passion by pursuing areas that you love. You will find true happiness and bliss if you spend your days pursuing what really matters to you.
2. Invest In Yourself – Your personal and professional development should be a lifetime process. Changing your mind and developing your skills is the one thing that will always pay dividends. Continue to sharpen “your ax” so that you are able to address and handle new situations and challenges.
3. Maintain Your Health – It’s not enough to develop your mind and attitude, if you fail to honor and take care of your body. Create a healthy lifestyle that promotes a strong body and spirit.
4. Focus On Relationships – People make a difference in your life and you can make a difference in the lives of others. Choosing the right relationships and nurturing those relationships will pay dividends. Whether they’re business or personal relationships, your life is enriched by the people that you surround yourself with and the depth of the experiences you share.
5. Serve A Higher Purpose – What’s your purpose for being? How can you make a difference in the world? Whether it’s through a calling to your religion or serving others, find out how your life and work can make a difference. Determine your personal vision.
6. Have The Right Attitude – This is the granddaddy of all the principles. By being open to the world around you, you can see the possibilities instead of the roadblocks. With the right attitude, you will have the self-confidence to be the best you.
7. Be Different – To be different, you need to think differently. Find ways that set you and your work apart. Success and wealth come to those that are able to distinguish themselves.
8. Embrace Change – It’s not enough to accept change. You must embrace change because it is a constant. How can you use change to seize new opportunities? What changes can you make to improve yourself?
9. Stop Doing What You Hate – It’s not enough to figure out what you love, you must also figure out what you don’t enjoy. Determine those activities or jobs that pull you down. Once you’ve identified them, figure out ways to eliminate, outsource or delegate the things that you don’t want to do.
10. Set And Achieve Goals – It’s important to know what you want to achieve so that you can develop a plan to make your goals a reality. Take the time to articulate and write out your goals for all areas of your life. Once written, you must follow a disciplined process to reach your goals.
11. Be Present – In your life, “you must be present to win.” In other words, you have to engage with the here and now, whatever that might be. Make the best of where you are and what you are doing. Don’t wait on the sidelines of life. Jump in and participate.
12. Don’t Focus On The Money – Money is not the answer. If you focus on money, you will lose sight of what’s important. Money will follow passion and hard work. In his research, Peter Lynch interviewed 5,000 millionaires and found that they spend an average of six minutes daily on personal finance. Focus your time on what you will do, not how much money you have or don’t have.
13. Take Action – By creating a sense of urgency and focusing on what needs to get done, you will set yourself apart from the masses. Most people fail to take the right action consistently to live the life they want. Without action, nothing happens.
14. Act With Integrity – Do what you say you are going to do – not sometimes but all the time. People want to be with others who they can count on; people that they respect and trust. By demonstrating integrity and a strong character, you will enhance your credibility.
15. Find Your Voice – Be yourself. Be the authentic you and embrace yourself. It’s impossible to be the best you can be by pretending to be somebody that you’re not.
16. Be An Expert – Expertise will set you apart. In work, people are compensated based on the value they provide. Consequently, experts are always paid more than others in their field. It’s difficult to be a true expert in a variety of topics or areas, so specialization is critical to developing expertise.
17. Take 100% Responsibility – This means no excuses. Forget what you can’t do and figure out how you can make things happen. By taking 100% responsibility for everything in your life, you will create a radically different and better life.
18. Create Systems – By creating systems, you can streamline your most precious commodity, your time. Systems will allow you to be more effective and efficient. You won’t have to reinvent the wheel. The right systems not only allow you to focus on higher level activities, it also provides a model where tasks and responsibilities can be delegated and successfully handled by others.
19. Be Prepared – In any situation, you need to know what to do. Spend time planning and preparing for your daily demands and activities. By anticipating what needs to be done and how it can be done, you will avoid adopting a “winging it” approach.
20. Get And Be A Mentor – Find individuals in your life that you connect with and can learn from. Whether it’s a one-on-one mentoring relationship or a mastermind group, challenge yourself through the experience and insights of others. You can gain and give so much through the right mentoring relationships.
21. Think Deeply – It seems so simple, but so many of us just don’t take the time to really think. You should think about your life and how you can create and shape it to serve your purpose. Give critical thinking a chance by blocking time off to think deeply. With deep thinking comes personal reflection and revelations that will help you achieve what you are capable of achieving.
22. Find Balance – The proper balance will remove stress and give you the life that you desire. Finding balance between all your interests and goals will increase your well-being and happiness.
The Jenius Has Quoted.
12 October 2005
11 October 2005
Eager To Be Slaves
Puerto Ricans love being enslaved.
Or perhaps they simply don't know that they are enslaved.
How else can you explain Our tendency to buybuyBUY and spendspendSPEND beyond Our means? We live on credit like a vampire lives on blood, partially ashamed of our naked lust, but greedy when the object of that lust is in sight.
Many people here have two mortgages on their houses. Who really owns the house?
Many people here have bought a car on extended financing. Who really owns it?
Many people here buy everything on credit, such as appliances, furniture and clothes. Who really owns these items?
Many people here max out credit cards at 18-19% and take out "easy" loans at 25-27% interest. Who really owns their future wages?
If the house you live in, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the bed you sleep in, the range that cooks your food and the monies you can make don't belong to you, what do you really own?
Debt. You own only the obligation to give your money to someone else. You work only to give the product of that labor to someone else. Someone with the power to punish you if you fail to fulfill your duty according to their stipulations.
You are a slave. An economic unit with scarcely more freedom than a beast in harness.
Why? Why is this happening?
Because the path of least resistance is a powerful seduction. New! Trendy! Snazzy! Now! Today! Envy! Vanity!
Many people here consume to maintain "an image"? Who owns their mind?
Many people work, not to live, but to merely stay in the same place, running a daily treadmill of miserable despair, fearful that without this agony, their house of cards will collapse. Who owns their heart?
Tell these people the truth... and watch their eyes cloud over, thinking about their next purchase or week-long vacation-to-be-paid-for-two-years.
Tell these people to budget and plan for true wealth... and watch their eyes follow the newest luxury vehicle or electronic doodad in action.
Tell these people to avoid credit and stop following the beat of a bloodsucking drum... and their eyes show horror, not at the image, but at the idea of living within their means.
Eyes of slaves who are afraid of being free.
We need eyes that see another vision, one of hope and growth, a vision of building for one's future and not for another's profit sheet. Eyes that are eager to see what freedom is like. Eager to shine at how empowering it feels to leave the mindless herd behind. Eager to see the paths of being a force for themselves, and not a slave of others.
We need more of those eyes. We definitely need more of those eyes.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
[Update: 4 August 2011: Debt Is the Slavery of the 21st Century. Funny, I was called "excessive" for saying this, probably because I was 5 years too early... Actually, no I wasn't. ]
[Update: 19 October 2011: Debt-Serfdom Is Now The New American Norm. The typical American household is insolvent: its debts exceed its assets. Welcome to Puerto Rico, U.S. of part of A.!]
Or perhaps they simply don't know that they are enslaved.
How else can you explain Our tendency to buybuyBUY and spendspendSPEND beyond Our means? We live on credit like a vampire lives on blood, partially ashamed of our naked lust, but greedy when the object of that lust is in sight.
Many people here have two mortgages on their houses. Who really owns the house?
Many people here have bought a car on extended financing. Who really owns it?
Many people here buy everything on credit, such as appliances, furniture and clothes. Who really owns these items?
Many people here max out credit cards at 18-19% and take out "easy" loans at 25-27% interest. Who really owns their future wages?
If the house you live in, the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the bed you sleep in, the range that cooks your food and the monies you can make don't belong to you, what do you really own?
Debt. You own only the obligation to give your money to someone else. You work only to give the product of that labor to someone else. Someone with the power to punish you if you fail to fulfill your duty according to their stipulations.
You are a slave. An economic unit with scarcely more freedom than a beast in harness.
Why? Why is this happening?
Because the path of least resistance is a powerful seduction. New! Trendy! Snazzy! Now! Today! Envy! Vanity!
Many people here consume to maintain "an image"? Who owns their mind?
Many people work, not to live, but to merely stay in the same place, running a daily treadmill of miserable despair, fearful that without this agony, their house of cards will collapse. Who owns their heart?
Tell these people the truth... and watch their eyes cloud over, thinking about their next purchase or week-long vacation-to-be-paid-for-two-years.
Tell these people to budget and plan for true wealth... and watch their eyes follow the newest luxury vehicle or electronic doodad in action.
Tell these people to avoid credit and stop following the beat of a bloodsucking drum... and their eyes show horror, not at the image, but at the idea of living within their means.
Eyes of slaves who are afraid of being free.
We need eyes that see another vision, one of hope and growth, a vision of building for one's future and not for another's profit sheet. Eyes that are eager to see what freedom is like. Eager to shine at how empowering it feels to leave the mindless herd behind. Eager to see the paths of being a force for themselves, and not a slave of others.
We need more of those eyes. We definitely need more of those eyes.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
[Update: 4 August 2011: Debt Is the Slavery of the 21st Century. Funny, I was called "excessive" for saying this, probably because I was 5 years too early... Actually, no I wasn't. ]
[Update: 19 October 2011: Debt-Serfdom Is Now The New American Norm. The typical American household is insolvent: its debts exceed its assets. Welcome to Puerto Rico, U.S. of part of A.!]
10 October 2005
Sewer Rats & Singapore Censors
Well.
Dictionary definition: a deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil or gas or brine.
Jenius definition: Sarcasm indicating irony.
Let's take The Sewer Authority first. In a move of monumental stupidity and crass disregard for even a shred of decency, responsibility or candor, the local Sewer Rats have decided to raise the rates for their pathetic level of service and diseased product more than 120% and as much as 330%. In an effort to "erase" decades of subhuman management and bestial neglect, the Sewer Rats try--they try very hard--to make this rate increase a "benefit for Puerto Rico."
The Jenius is on record as supporting a water rate increase simply because it was long overdue. But this increase fails to pass The Jenius' "Bullseye or Bullshit" meter, for the following reasons:
1) Is the rate increase justifiable? No. Increases of over 100% in any product or service, much less a utility, are essentially a raping of the consumer. Unlike a commercial product or service, a utility offers no alternative: pay up or do without. That many in Puerto Rico are already doing without water service just adds fuel to the fire. (A mixed metaphor, at least...)
2) Is the rate increase fair? No. That Puerto Ricans have been under-paying for water since the 1960s does not mean it is right to make Us over-pay for it now. Theft, constant political cronyism and piss-poor management have squandered the utility's resources. What's fair is to straighten out the utility first, then raise the rates. As it is right now, We are giving more money to a dangerously malignant entity, pretty much like giving increased blood flow to a cancerous tumor.
3) Is the rate increase useful? Hell no. See points 1 and 2 above. And notice how plans for using the rate increase's additional revenue are very very vague. Think about this: A demostrably inept organization, part of a political structure that reeks of corruption, is going to receive more than twice the money it used to... and the legislative twig says "it can't do anything about that." They lie. Just as you don't put a loaded gun in a monkey's hand, you shouldn't put millions of dollars in the hands of syphillis-addled brains.
Moving on... A recent Jenius post about Singapore touched on the limited freedoms, according to Western democratic standards, that Singaporeans have. Check out this news item about two bloggers who were jailed and fined for making racist remarks on their blogs. The judge, Richard Magnus, said the sentences were "...necessary so that such offending acts are tackled early and contained." He also said that "...callous and reckless remarks on racial or religious subjects had the potential to cause social disorder, regardless of which medium or forum they are expressed."
So far, The Jenius barely agrees. Racial slurs and racism are stupid, the product of tiny minds and cowardice. And catching variances to accepted behavior early is a key to maintaining effective discipline, a vital issue for personal and group progress.
But where The Jenius and the judge part ways violently is at this point: "..the right of one to propagate an opinion on the Internet is not and cannot be an unfettered right."
Wrong, Dick.
One's opinion is the product of one's thoughts, and thoughts are inherently free, in fact, the only inherently free right anyone has. That certain opinions are offensive, crass, disgusting, idiotic, vapid, useless and unredeeming--for example, yours, Dick--is simply part of the human condition. To state that propagating an opinion on the Internet "is not and cannot be an unfettered right" is to aim for Legality and shoot Morality in the head. For the only counterbalance to crappy opinions is more opinions, not less, to foment greater participation and not by imposing censorship.
Yes, Dickie, you sent a message of "watch out!" Yes, race and religion are sensitive issues. But trying to restrict or eliminate opinions, and the media that spreads them around the world in seconds, only creates more anonymity in the creation of opinions. That breeds cowardice. And cowardice breeds stunted thinking, like racism. Or legal precedents such as yours.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Dictionary definition: a deep hole or shaft dug or drilled to obtain water or oil or gas or brine.
Jenius definition: Sarcasm indicating irony.
Let's take The Sewer Authority first. In a move of monumental stupidity and crass disregard for even a shred of decency, responsibility or candor, the local Sewer Rats have decided to raise the rates for their pathetic level of service and diseased product more than 120% and as much as 330%. In an effort to "erase" decades of subhuman management and bestial neglect, the Sewer Rats try--they try very hard--to make this rate increase a "benefit for Puerto Rico."
The Jenius is on record as supporting a water rate increase simply because it was long overdue. But this increase fails to pass The Jenius' "Bullseye or Bullshit" meter, for the following reasons:
1) Is the rate increase justifiable? No. Increases of over 100% in any product or service, much less a utility, are essentially a raping of the consumer. Unlike a commercial product or service, a utility offers no alternative: pay up or do without. That many in Puerto Rico are already doing without water service just adds fuel to the fire. (A mixed metaphor, at least...)
2) Is the rate increase fair? No. That Puerto Ricans have been under-paying for water since the 1960s does not mean it is right to make Us over-pay for it now. Theft, constant political cronyism and piss-poor management have squandered the utility's resources. What's fair is to straighten out the utility first, then raise the rates. As it is right now, We are giving more money to a dangerously malignant entity, pretty much like giving increased blood flow to a cancerous tumor.
3) Is the rate increase useful? Hell no. See points 1 and 2 above. And notice how plans for using the rate increase's additional revenue are very very vague. Think about this: A demostrably inept organization, part of a political structure that reeks of corruption, is going to receive more than twice the money it used to... and the legislative twig says "it can't do anything about that." They lie. Just as you don't put a loaded gun in a monkey's hand, you shouldn't put millions of dollars in the hands of syphillis-addled brains.
Moving on... A recent Jenius post about Singapore touched on the limited freedoms, according to Western democratic standards, that Singaporeans have. Check out this news item about two bloggers who were jailed and fined for making racist remarks on their blogs. The judge, Richard Magnus, said the sentences were "...necessary so that such offending acts are tackled early and contained." He also said that "...callous and reckless remarks on racial or religious subjects had the potential to cause social disorder, regardless of which medium or forum they are expressed."
So far, The Jenius barely agrees. Racial slurs and racism are stupid, the product of tiny minds and cowardice. And catching variances to accepted behavior early is a key to maintaining effective discipline, a vital issue for personal and group progress.
But where The Jenius and the judge part ways violently is at this point: "..the right of one to propagate an opinion on the Internet is not and cannot be an unfettered right."
Wrong, Dick.
One's opinion is the product of one's thoughts, and thoughts are inherently free, in fact, the only inherently free right anyone has. That certain opinions are offensive, crass, disgusting, idiotic, vapid, useless and unredeeming--for example, yours, Dick--is simply part of the human condition. To state that propagating an opinion on the Internet "is not and cannot be an unfettered right" is to aim for Legality and shoot Morality in the head. For the only counterbalance to crappy opinions is more opinions, not less, to foment greater participation and not by imposing censorship.
Yes, Dickie, you sent a message of "watch out!" Yes, race and religion are sensitive issues. But trying to restrict or eliminate opinions, and the media that spreads them around the world in seconds, only creates more anonymity in the creation of opinions. That breeds cowardice. And cowardice breeds stunted thinking, like racism. Or legal precedents such as yours.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
07 October 2005
Soldiering Upward
Let's keep this short and simple:
--The Jenius and Aníbal Freytes are mentioned (in that order) in a Global Voices post.
--Aníbal's post is about the current malaise he feels in his government job.
--The Jenius posts part of Aníbal's post, then notifies The Information Soldier about the post.
--Aníbal contacts The Jenius and a meeting over lunch is decided. After a missed opportunity, We meet.
--Over lunch, an extensive conversation about government work, its (lack of) standards, progress of the past versus stagnation in the present, leadership vaccuum, opportunities, key players, Open Source Minds, his past, My past, his future, My present, tactics, strategy, overcoming the brain-draining sickness that is government work...and more.
--An invitation sent to Aníbal to join us at our next OSM lunch.
--Aníbal uncovers a weakness in my e-mail system. Took him all of 5 minutes, most likely less.
The Jenius foresees good things happening with and around Aníbal. Drop in and meet The Information Soldier. You'll be seeing the transformation start.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
--The Jenius and Aníbal Freytes are mentioned (in that order) in a Global Voices post.
--Aníbal's post is about the current malaise he feels in his government job.
--The Jenius posts part of Aníbal's post, then notifies The Information Soldier about the post.
--Aníbal contacts The Jenius and a meeting over lunch is decided. After a missed opportunity, We meet.
--Over lunch, an extensive conversation about government work, its (lack of) standards, progress of the past versus stagnation in the present, leadership vaccuum, opportunities, key players, Open Source Minds, his past, My past, his future, My present, tactics, strategy, overcoming the brain-draining sickness that is government work...and more.
--An invitation sent to Aníbal to join us at our next OSM lunch.
--Aníbal uncovers a weakness in my e-mail system. Took him all of 5 minutes, most likely less.
The Jenius foresees good things happening with and around Aníbal. Drop in and meet The Information Soldier. You'll be seeing the transformation start.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
06 October 2005
Education For Us
What is an educational system for? What is the highest purpose for an educational system?
Based on historical trends and evidence, it seems that Puerto Rico's educational system has a goal of creating sheep meant for government and industrial corrals, also known as "offices," "pensions" and "marginal salaries." And sheep, as anyone who has been around that farmyard animal knows, don't need to be too bright. Most of what they need to know--eat, sleep and poop--is already hard-wired into their little brains, so all you have to teach them is where the barn is, where there's food and water and to stay away from the fences.
Yup, pretty much the description of the ideal government or factory worker.
In theory, and let Us make a note of stressing in theory, an educational system is supposed to prepare a person for contributing to the best of their abilities to the overall development of their nation. In fact, the educational system has become a complex form of domestication, of imposing subservience, of beating the brains into mushy pulps so that other, mushier brains with hard reptilian nodes, can pretend to lead them.
Sounds harsh. But can a system so inept, so utterly out-of-touch with modern reality, so rife with idiocies and--at the government level--corruption, be tolerated any longer?
Seems so. Instead of a concerted effort to fix the system, We choose to vote with Our wallets and purses and steer Our kids to whatever oasis seems economically palatable. There are good schools and some that are great; there are good teachers and some that are great. But they are a decided minority and all-too-often become arenas where education takes a back seat to "image," arenas where flashing cash means more than flash cards.
Solution? It will come from the private sector. Only the private sector has the flexibility and the focus on problem-solving that will make a true difference in Our educational process. And why will they focus on solving the problem? Profit.
If education-for-profit upsets you, but education-for-propaganda doesn't, then what follows may convince you otherwise. The government has no real purpose in education other than perpetuating itself: not to benefit the nation (other than their little pigsty) and certainly not to develop individuals who can challenge the status quo. Why should they? Their positions of "privilege" are not sustained by merit, but by fiat.
Where the private sector can solve the problem and secure profits is by aligning the needs of future growth for the individual and the nation with new educational models that deliver the needed/wanted results. In short, educate for potential rather than against it.
The global economy of this century is not a preserver of status quos; in truth, it destroys them with chaotic speed. A nation educated to bow to stasis, to "follow the lunkhead" misery is not now or ever will be a true global economic player. But a nation is not an entity: it is a collection of individuals united by common characteristics and sharing, often unconsciously, common vision and goals. To develop the nation, develop the individual. To develop the individual...well, that's Our job.
Let's get to it.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Based on historical trends and evidence, it seems that Puerto Rico's educational system has a goal of creating sheep meant for government and industrial corrals, also known as "offices," "pensions" and "marginal salaries." And sheep, as anyone who has been around that farmyard animal knows, don't need to be too bright. Most of what they need to know--eat, sleep and poop--is already hard-wired into their little brains, so all you have to teach them is where the barn is, where there's food and water and to stay away from the fences.
Yup, pretty much the description of the ideal government or factory worker.
In theory, and let Us make a note of stressing in theory, an educational system is supposed to prepare a person for contributing to the best of their abilities to the overall development of their nation. In fact, the educational system has become a complex form of domestication, of imposing subservience, of beating the brains into mushy pulps so that other, mushier brains with hard reptilian nodes, can pretend to lead them.
Sounds harsh. But can a system so inept, so utterly out-of-touch with modern reality, so rife with idiocies and--at the government level--corruption, be tolerated any longer?
Seems so. Instead of a concerted effort to fix the system, We choose to vote with Our wallets and purses and steer Our kids to whatever oasis seems economically palatable. There are good schools and some that are great; there are good teachers and some that are great. But they are a decided minority and all-too-often become arenas where education takes a back seat to "image," arenas where flashing cash means more than flash cards.
Solution? It will come from the private sector. Only the private sector has the flexibility and the focus on problem-solving that will make a true difference in Our educational process. And why will they focus on solving the problem? Profit.
If education-for-profit upsets you, but education-for-propaganda doesn't, then what follows may convince you otherwise. The government has no real purpose in education other than perpetuating itself: not to benefit the nation (other than their little pigsty) and certainly not to develop individuals who can challenge the status quo. Why should they? Their positions of "privilege" are not sustained by merit, but by fiat.
Where the private sector can solve the problem and secure profits is by aligning the needs of future growth for the individual and the nation with new educational models that deliver the needed/wanted results. In short, educate for potential rather than against it.
The global economy of this century is not a preserver of status quos; in truth, it destroys them with chaotic speed. A nation educated to bow to stasis, to "follow the lunkhead" misery is not now or ever will be a true global economic player. But a nation is not an entity: it is a collection of individuals united by common characteristics and sharing, often unconsciously, common vision and goals. To develop the nation, develop the individual. To develop the individual...well, that's Our job.
Let's get to it.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
05 October 2005
Bilingual? Baloney!
"Puerto Rico is a bilingual country."
No, it isn't.
How can a country say it's "bilingual" when it teaches a second language, in this case English, for at least 12 years--at least 12 years--and most of its people are barely Tarzanian in the use of that language?
There are, of course, dissenting views, like those expressed some time ago (one on a different subject) by a commenter to The Jenius. Here are Edith Asher's remarks, exactly as she chose to leave them:
Bla, Bla, Bla... Borring. AND most add That's NOT true!
Wow! Big deal being bilingual. LOL Bobo! We all puertorrican are bilinguals.
Uh, no, Edith. Based on you, not all of us are bilingual. And with you as an example, there may even be doubts about Our literacy.
According to linguists, near-native fluency in a second or additional language, defined as being able to speak conversationally, read a newspaper and write a personal letter, can be achieved through instruction in an average of 3 years.
Near-native fluency in three years...
So what the hell is happening in Puerto Rico where four TIMES that amount of time is invested for barely a third of the expected result? Many, if not most, people in Puerto Rico cannot really read a newspaper in English, couldn't begin to write a letter in English and can barely carry on a simple conversation in English. This is a far far cry from the bilingual and multilingual fluency one often encounters in the Caribbean and Europe, where mastery of 3-4 languages is common.
Look at the admittedly limited examples above: Nine basic orthographical errors and two basic grammatical ones in 22 words, an "average" of one mistake every two words. This from someone who blogs in English and truly, truly believes she is bilingual. Delusion aside, how have We come to such a sorry state of affairs?
Incompetence and hypocrisy.
Incompetence: Despite The Jenius's opinion that many teachers would serve Us better as fast-food workers, the full burden of incompetence in this English as a non-second language debacle lies upon an educational system that reeks of stupidity and has done so for decades. Rather than start from scratch and focus on what works, The Fools (of which "bobo" could be a translation) have chosen "tweaks" and "techniques" and "textbooks" and "training", but never ever ever have they actually considered teaching.
Hypocrisy: Puerto Ricans say--oh yes We do!--that learning English is very important. But then We harass those who want to learn it, cheat Our way through the stupid processes that try to occupy Our time about its importance and even try to legislate it out of usage if not existence. (Yes, The Jenius knows this is a political issue, but everything in Puerto Rico is a political issue except water skiing and onanism.) We act is if English were a denial of "Self" in pathetic imitation of the only major country on this planet that actually believes that knowing one language is better than knowing two or three. We see "English only" in the U.S. and instead of rising above it effortlessly by learning more than Our northern brethren, We play "monkey see, monkey do" and aim for "Spanish only."
And an aside: It is pathetic--let Me repeat: pa-the-tic--to see statehooders in leadership positions whose English language skills make Edith seem like the second coming of Shakespeare's editor. Especially when you find that the most eloquent and accurate English speakers tend to be Independence Party leaders. Allow Me to clarify that the point is not accent, but precision: statehood "leaders" often have the first in spades AND lack the second as if they'd been hit by a spade upside the coconut. Pun intended.
Solution: Let's scrap the "12 Year Plan for Wasting Time in English" in favor of a 4-year plan that gives conversational English one year, reading English two years and writing it one year. Have the students start in 4th grade and complete the sequence by the 7th grade or start in the 7th grade and finish in the 10th. Those that start early would most likely gain advantages in acquiring learning skills and knowledge, but in any case, the 4-year period keeps the system, teachers and students focused on results, not on just marking time.
You say it won't work? In Japan, Spain, Italy, Mexico, South Korea and other countries, students routinely take 2 year courses in English and achieve proficiency levels equal to that of U.S. eighth-grade students. We need to achieve college-level proficiency in English to occupy Our rightful place on the global stage and The Jenius is convinced that We could do it in as little as four years of instruction.
IF We change the system. IF We stop the hypocrisy.
IF.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
No, it isn't.
How can a country say it's "bilingual" when it teaches a second language, in this case English, for at least 12 years--at least 12 years--and most of its people are barely Tarzanian in the use of that language?
There are, of course, dissenting views, like those expressed some time ago (one on a different subject) by a commenter to The Jenius. Here are Edith Asher's remarks, exactly as she chose to leave them:
Bla, Bla, Bla... Borring. AND most add That's NOT true!
Wow! Big deal being bilingual. LOL Bobo! We all puertorrican are bilinguals.
Uh, no, Edith. Based on you, not all of us are bilingual. And with you as an example, there may even be doubts about Our literacy.
According to linguists, near-native fluency in a second or additional language, defined as being able to speak conversationally, read a newspaper and write a personal letter, can be achieved through instruction in an average of 3 years.
Near-native fluency in three years...
So what the hell is happening in Puerto Rico where four TIMES that amount of time is invested for barely a third of the expected result? Many, if not most, people in Puerto Rico cannot really read a newspaper in English, couldn't begin to write a letter in English and can barely carry on a simple conversation in English. This is a far far cry from the bilingual and multilingual fluency one often encounters in the Caribbean and Europe, where mastery of 3-4 languages is common.
Look at the admittedly limited examples above: Nine basic orthographical errors and two basic grammatical ones in 22 words, an "average" of one mistake every two words. This from someone who blogs in English and truly, truly believes she is bilingual. Delusion aside, how have We come to such a sorry state of affairs?
Incompetence and hypocrisy.
Incompetence: Despite The Jenius's opinion that many teachers would serve Us better as fast-food workers, the full burden of incompetence in this English as a non-second language debacle lies upon an educational system that reeks of stupidity and has done so for decades. Rather than start from scratch and focus on what works, The Fools (of which "bobo" could be a translation) have chosen "tweaks" and "techniques" and "textbooks" and "training", but never ever ever have they actually considered teaching.
Hypocrisy: Puerto Ricans say--oh yes We do!--that learning English is very important. But then We harass those who want to learn it, cheat Our way through the stupid processes that try to occupy Our time about its importance and even try to legislate it out of usage if not existence. (Yes, The Jenius knows this is a political issue, but everything in Puerto Rico is a political issue except water skiing and onanism.) We act is if English were a denial of "Self" in pathetic imitation of the only major country on this planet that actually believes that knowing one language is better than knowing two or three. We see "English only" in the U.S. and instead of rising above it effortlessly by learning more than Our northern brethren, We play "monkey see, monkey do" and aim for "Spanish only."
And an aside: It is pathetic--let Me repeat: pa-the-tic--to see statehooders in leadership positions whose English language skills make Edith seem like the second coming of Shakespeare's editor. Especially when you find that the most eloquent and accurate English speakers tend to be Independence Party leaders. Allow Me to clarify that the point is not accent, but precision: statehood "leaders" often have the first in spades AND lack the second as if they'd been hit by a spade upside the coconut. Pun intended.
Solution: Let's scrap the "12 Year Plan for Wasting Time in English" in favor of a 4-year plan that gives conversational English one year, reading English two years and writing it one year. Have the students start in 4th grade and complete the sequence by the 7th grade or start in the 7th grade and finish in the 10th. Those that start early would most likely gain advantages in acquiring learning skills and knowledge, but in any case, the 4-year period keeps the system, teachers and students focused on results, not on just marking time.
You say it won't work? In Japan, Spain, Italy, Mexico, South Korea and other countries, students routinely take 2 year courses in English and achieve proficiency levels equal to that of U.S. eighth-grade students. We need to achieve college-level proficiency in English to occupy Our rightful place on the global stage and The Jenius is convinced that We could do it in as little as four years of instruction.
IF We change the system. IF We stop the hypocrisy.
IF.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
04 October 2005
Tool Or Leader
Allow Me to do basic logic:
Premise A: Ideas are common as dirt, but excellent execution rules.
Premise B: Everything one seeks to achieve in business (or Life) is done solely through and with other people.
Premise C: Excellent execution often involves teamwork, i.e., working with and through other people.
Conclusion: You may have ideas, but unless you deal with the "people problems," you will not achieve excellent execution, a.k.a. success.
The previous exercise emerged from a conversation The Jenius had today with a brilliant mind. However, most of the "obstacles" this brilliant mind sees are merely people problems, the fuzzy world of emotional irrationality that permeates everything We try to do.
See, this brilliant mind works in a world where "A leads to B" and "Y follows X," a tidy world of push-pull, cause-and-effect almost wholly in his control. But in the transition from this orderly, controllable world to the real world, the tools and savvy that make him great at one thing are exactly what keep him from seeing solutions in the real world. In the real world, logic and rationality are worth as much as bat snot. And situations often become as sticky as bat snot, even with the best planning.
Now, My friend knows--feels--that things should be easier, more orderly, better. The reason The Jenius senses this so keenly is because, once in a not-so-distant past, He felt the same. In fact, He was even more adamant about "people problems": He simply avoided them entirely. The Jenius worked alone. The Jenius didn't give bat snot for people problems because people problems were beneath His notice.
And...The Jenius made little progress towards success. (My friend has taken far greater strides in that area, but then again, he is a Genius; that makes a difference.) For if one refuses to deal with people problems, one is merely a tool. And tools are never leaders.
That's the simple Truth. You can either be a tool or a leader. If you want to stop being a tool, being used and used up, then you have no choice but to become a leader... and deal with people problems. Leave the tidy world of one's own making--one's comfort zone--and proceed to discover the myriad challenges of dealing with a veritable blizzard of variables, each one as unique as a snowflake.
Is My friend doomed to remaining a tool? Hell no. He's well on his way to setting a pace for leadership that many will envy. Why? Because he sees the problem and is seeking a solution. Leadership boils down to seeing what's wrong, seeking a solution and communicating the results. My friend is already an excellent communicator; when he starts grappling directly with people problems, he will move smoothly into full leadership roles. And his very ability to question himself will keep his mind open enough to grow far beyond the petty ego state many "leaders" freeze themselves into.
It won't be a smooth road and it won't be fun most of the time. But he will achieve more than the rest of Us who throw up Our hands in despair and complain about "people". Leaders are made: My friend is making himself the kind of leader We always need.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Premise A: Ideas are common as dirt, but excellent execution rules.
Premise B: Everything one seeks to achieve in business (or Life) is done solely through and with other people.
Premise C: Excellent execution often involves teamwork, i.e., working with and through other people.
Conclusion: You may have ideas, but unless you deal with the "people problems," you will not achieve excellent execution, a.k.a. success.
The previous exercise emerged from a conversation The Jenius had today with a brilliant mind. However, most of the "obstacles" this brilliant mind sees are merely people problems, the fuzzy world of emotional irrationality that permeates everything We try to do.
See, this brilliant mind works in a world where "A leads to B" and "Y follows X," a tidy world of push-pull, cause-and-effect almost wholly in his control. But in the transition from this orderly, controllable world to the real world, the tools and savvy that make him great at one thing are exactly what keep him from seeing solutions in the real world. In the real world, logic and rationality are worth as much as bat snot. And situations often become as sticky as bat snot, even with the best planning.
Now, My friend knows--feels--that things should be easier, more orderly, better. The reason The Jenius senses this so keenly is because, once in a not-so-distant past, He felt the same. In fact, He was even more adamant about "people problems": He simply avoided them entirely. The Jenius worked alone. The Jenius didn't give bat snot for people problems because people problems were beneath His notice.
And...The Jenius made little progress towards success. (My friend has taken far greater strides in that area, but then again, he is a Genius; that makes a difference.) For if one refuses to deal with people problems, one is merely a tool. And tools are never leaders.
That's the simple Truth. You can either be a tool or a leader. If you want to stop being a tool, being used and used up, then you have no choice but to become a leader... and deal with people problems. Leave the tidy world of one's own making--one's comfort zone--and proceed to discover the myriad challenges of dealing with a veritable blizzard of variables, each one as unique as a snowflake.
Is My friend doomed to remaining a tool? Hell no. He's well on his way to setting a pace for leadership that many will envy. Why? Because he sees the problem and is seeking a solution. Leadership boils down to seeing what's wrong, seeking a solution and communicating the results. My friend is already an excellent communicator; when he starts grappling directly with people problems, he will move smoothly into full leadership roles. And his very ability to question himself will keep his mind open enough to grow far beyond the petty ego state many "leaders" freeze themselves into.
It won't be a smooth road and it won't be fun most of the time. But he will achieve more than the rest of Us who throw up Our hands in despair and complain about "people". Leaders are made: My friend is making himself the kind of leader We always need.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
03 October 2005
Success Starts Now
What better way to start a week--any day of the week--than by focusing on items that can make you more successful. Success, when personally defined and not subject to what "society" tries to impose, is the only goal for a Life well-lived.
You may have heard that "Life is not a dress rehearsal"; believe it. Too many of Us wander through the days as if Time and Fate were at the controls of Life. They aren't. Time is the servant of a wise planner, Fate is the outcome of your decisions and thus Life is what you make of it, not what it makes of you.
From Marcus Vorwaller's Best Tools for the Job blog comes a list of Ten Things You Can Do Today to Jump-start Success:
1. Read or listen to something that motivates you every single day. If you don’t read another item on this list, take this to heart. Don’t let a single day go by without providing yourself external motivation.
2. Keep a journal of your daily progress and carry it with you wherever you go. Change and progress will happen, but in order to recognize it, you have to record it. An example of a journal entry might be “Started tracking all expenses today, woke up 15 minutes earlier, set goal to read one book a month.” Some days you’ll do more than others, but the important thing is to do something every day and write down what you do.
3. Make goals and re-write them every day. Your goals will change, don’t worry about making goals that right now feel unattainable or baseless. The hardest part of making big goals is starting. Start by recording between 5 and 10 changes you’d like to make or milestones you’d like to reach within the next three years and re-write the goals, along with a brief note of your current progress every day. Save the lists of goals as you go so you can see how they evolve and you progress. This idea is by no means unique to me, but I do it and I know it works.
4. Keep track of every person you meet. If you don’t feel like you will remember their name, write it down, along with details of the conversations you had with them. Microsoft Outlook or almost any Personal Information Manager is great for storing this type of information. Keep it in a simple, but comprehensive system.
5. Begin investing a portion of your income today. A great place to start is a high-yield savings account, an IRA or a 401k plan. Do not put off investing until you’ve found the ‘perfect’ investment. If you’re already investing some of your money, bump up the amount you invest a notch.
6. Begin looking for opportunities to build passive income (money that you don’t have to work for once you’ve done the initial work) and write down or begin working on your ideas. The most important thing you can do is be aware of the ideas you already have. Focus on building assets, not more work for yourself.
7. Only sleep as much as you need to. Sleep is obviously important, but don’t use the most important hours of your day dreaming. If you wake up at 7 and go to bed at 11, begin to wake up at 5:30 and go to bed at 10:30. Chances are there is an hour each day that you could use doing the above things that will make you more happy and successful.
8. Look for opportunities to serve. If you are willing to help others, others will be more willing to help you. The benefits of service are real–you will find more happiness and peace through serving than through any amount of time or money.
9. Keep track of every penny that you spend or save. Record every transaction in the back of your checkbook, in a spiral notebook or in accounting software. By doing it, you’ll begin to discover patterns you never would have found otherwise.
10. Stop being a victim. Focus on what YOU can DO. Stop assigning blame, don’t look for excuses. Take the attitude of ownership. Don’t try to change others, make a decision then take action.
Personally, The Jenius would have moved #10 to #1...
There is nothing on this list you can't do. And if your "inner critic" says "This seems too easy," tell the critic to take a hike. It is easy and difficult: easy to implement, hard to sustain. But in that persistence, that consistent focus on yourself and your future, lies the secret to achieving--and being--more.
The Jenius Has Quoted.
You may have heard that "Life is not a dress rehearsal"; believe it. Too many of Us wander through the days as if Time and Fate were at the controls of Life. They aren't. Time is the servant of a wise planner, Fate is the outcome of your decisions and thus Life is what you make of it, not what it makes of you.
From Marcus Vorwaller's Best Tools for the Job blog comes a list of Ten Things You Can Do Today to Jump-start Success:
1. Read or listen to something that motivates you every single day. If you don’t read another item on this list, take this to heart. Don’t let a single day go by without providing yourself external motivation.
2. Keep a journal of your daily progress and carry it with you wherever you go. Change and progress will happen, but in order to recognize it, you have to record it. An example of a journal entry might be “Started tracking all expenses today, woke up 15 minutes earlier, set goal to read one book a month.” Some days you’ll do more than others, but the important thing is to do something every day and write down what you do.
3. Make goals and re-write them every day. Your goals will change, don’t worry about making goals that right now feel unattainable or baseless. The hardest part of making big goals is starting. Start by recording between 5 and 10 changes you’d like to make or milestones you’d like to reach within the next three years and re-write the goals, along with a brief note of your current progress every day. Save the lists of goals as you go so you can see how they evolve and you progress. This idea is by no means unique to me, but I do it and I know it works.
4. Keep track of every person you meet. If you don’t feel like you will remember their name, write it down, along with details of the conversations you had with them. Microsoft Outlook or almost any Personal Information Manager is great for storing this type of information. Keep it in a simple, but comprehensive system.
5. Begin investing a portion of your income today. A great place to start is a high-yield savings account, an IRA or a 401k plan. Do not put off investing until you’ve found the ‘perfect’ investment. If you’re already investing some of your money, bump up the amount you invest a notch.
6. Begin looking for opportunities to build passive income (money that you don’t have to work for once you’ve done the initial work) and write down or begin working on your ideas. The most important thing you can do is be aware of the ideas you already have. Focus on building assets, not more work for yourself.
7. Only sleep as much as you need to. Sleep is obviously important, but don’t use the most important hours of your day dreaming. If you wake up at 7 and go to bed at 11, begin to wake up at 5:30 and go to bed at 10:30. Chances are there is an hour each day that you could use doing the above things that will make you more happy and successful.
8. Look for opportunities to serve. If you are willing to help others, others will be more willing to help you. The benefits of service are real–you will find more happiness and peace through serving than through any amount of time or money.
9. Keep track of every penny that you spend or save. Record every transaction in the back of your checkbook, in a spiral notebook or in accounting software. By doing it, you’ll begin to discover patterns you never would have found otherwise.
10. Stop being a victim. Focus on what YOU can DO. Stop assigning blame, don’t look for excuses. Take the attitude of ownership. Don’t try to change others, make a decision then take action.
Personally, The Jenius would have moved #10 to #1...
There is nothing on this list you can't do. And if your "inner critic" says "This seems too easy," tell the critic to take a hike. It is easy and difficult: easy to implement, hard to sustain. But in that persistence, that consistent focus on yourself and your future, lies the secret to achieving--and being--more.
The Jenius Has Quoted.
30 September 2005
Idea Platform
Cheap computers + cheap programs + Internet access = instant business impact.
Think about it: Nearly one billion people worldwide are currently connecting to the Internet, making it a part of their personal and professional lives. But the world has an estimated 2 billion more people who could conceivably join the cyberworld if computers reached the US$100 range and Internet access were closer to free.
So the formula really should be:
Minicomputers + open source + WiFi = instant business impact
Note that "open source" is not a specific type of program, but a methodology for creating new programs. Take "mash-ups," the current trend of combining openly-accessible source codes to create a new service/product. A good example is combining Google Maps with real estate listings to create maps of houses for sale or rent. The point here is that open source allows for rapid recombination of tools to create new ones.
Rather than continue the discussion and analysis, why not head to a couple of websites and use them as starting points for your own brainstorming session?
First, head for the amazing Wikipedia and look at the extensive entry for the Simputer. Then hop over to Emily Chang's eHub, a growing collection of open access tools and mash-ups. Then think hard about what you see there.
Because actually, the formulas listed above are incomplete. The complete version really is:
Minicomputer + open source + WiFi + IDEA + EXECUTION = instant & long term business impact.
How much of an impact depends on many factors, but get the first four right, make great execution your final focus and you will go from "impact" to "profits." And remember that profits are often not counted in coins, but in results.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Think about it: Nearly one billion people worldwide are currently connecting to the Internet, making it a part of their personal and professional lives. But the world has an estimated 2 billion more people who could conceivably join the cyberworld if computers reached the US$100 range and Internet access were closer to free.
So the formula really should be:
Minicomputers + open source + WiFi = instant business impact
Note that "open source" is not a specific type of program, but a methodology for creating new programs. Take "mash-ups," the current trend of combining openly-accessible source codes to create a new service/product. A good example is combining Google Maps with real estate listings to create maps of houses for sale or rent. The point here is that open source allows for rapid recombination of tools to create new ones.
Rather than continue the discussion and analysis, why not head to a couple of websites and use them as starting points for your own brainstorming session?
First, head for the amazing Wikipedia and look at the extensive entry for the Simputer. Then hop over to Emily Chang's eHub, a growing collection of open access tools and mash-ups. Then think hard about what you see there.
Because actually, the formulas listed above are incomplete. The complete version really is:
Minicomputer + open source + WiFi + IDEA + EXECUTION = instant & long term business impact.
How much of an impact depends on many factors, but get the first four right, make great execution your final focus and you will go from "impact" to "profits." And remember that profits are often not counted in coins, but in results.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
29 September 2005
Singapore Sting
There was a time, not so long ago, when Singapore, an island with roughly the same population of Puerto Rico but less than one-tenth our size, was not even half as prosperous as Us, when measured by income per capita.
Less than half. In other words, the average Puerto Rican living on this island made more than twice as much money as a Singaporan worker. A worker who didn’t have any of our “supports” such as grants, welfare and subsidies, the products of Uncle Sam’s largesse as economic fuel.
Look now. In the span of less than 30 years, Singapore has risen to the top of the global competitive charts, an amoeba compared to the enormous size of many of its high-profile, high-production brethren. An island of roughly 4 million people so prosperous it is recruiting an entire nation as its up-and-coming workforce: a nation—Malaysia—almost 6 times the size of Singapore in population.
Talk about the goldfish swallowing the cat…
And what has happened to Puerto Rico in those same 30 years? We fell from being the economic miracle economists flocked to study, many from that island called Singapore, to being the economic mess no one can or wants to fix.
Now, let’s not be Thomas Friedman-like in blind adoration of Singapore. The country may be an economic marvel, but it leaves a lot to be desired in the democracy department. This was the country that outlawed chewing gum and behaves toward the notion of a free press and individual choice with the level of acceptance the Pope has for satanic rites. So no, it isn’t perfect. But it is kicking Our butt with combat boots as an example of focused talent and economic vision.
The angle here is not “How do we become more like Singapore?”, but “Why them and not Us?”
There is only one starting point, one fundamental difference between Singapore and Puerto Rico that leaves everything else in the proverbial dust: Singapore has autonomy; Puerto Rico does not.
Those of you locals who immediately recoil and think “independentista” can go stick your tongues in the nearest electrical outlet. Autonomy—to be the master of your own fate—is not a concept strictly limited to seeking independence. [In fact, in a later post, The Jenius will argue that there really isn’t and never has been a true independence movement in Puerto Rico.] And again, in fact, Puerto Rico had a greater degree of autonomy in 1898, negotiated with Spain, than it has ever had before or since. So labeling a conclusive fact as “independentista” is simply admitting a bias against the Truth and shows a lack of brains, so let your tongue fry.
For the rest of you, it boils down to this: No one’s self-interest can ever be truly served if the decisions needed to implement the desired changes are in the hands of someone who doesn’t care what that self-interest is. Or if you don’t know where your true self-interest lies.
The problem here is two-fold: The U.S. has never given much thought to Puerto Rico, and at the level of the general population, the vast majority don’t give a damn. They have no reason to. In Puerto Rico, We have thrown away decades of Our lives in pursuit of what We can acquire, but only invested a few seconds to wrestle with what We want to be. One side couldn’t care less, the other side can’t bring itself to care enough.
So. If this isn’t exactly a stand-off, it results in a stand-offish posture concerning “Our Future.” In the meantime, a tiny, tiny island marshalled itself, took aim at some heady goals, and though one can certainly argue with the methods employed to achieve those goals, it is hard to dismiss the ongoing progress shown. They made their choices. They set their goals. They went after them with single-minded determination.
We make no choices. We have no goals. And the only thing We have a single mind about seems to be that “somebody’s gotta fix this mess.”
No.
Not "somebody".
Us.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Less than half. In other words, the average Puerto Rican living on this island made more than twice as much money as a Singaporan worker. A worker who didn’t have any of our “supports” such as grants, welfare and subsidies, the products of Uncle Sam’s largesse as economic fuel.
Look now. In the span of less than 30 years, Singapore has risen to the top of the global competitive charts, an amoeba compared to the enormous size of many of its high-profile, high-production brethren. An island of roughly 4 million people so prosperous it is recruiting an entire nation as its up-and-coming workforce: a nation—Malaysia—almost 6 times the size of Singapore in population.
Talk about the goldfish swallowing the cat…
And what has happened to Puerto Rico in those same 30 years? We fell from being the economic miracle economists flocked to study, many from that island called Singapore, to being the economic mess no one can or wants to fix.
Now, let’s not be Thomas Friedman-like in blind adoration of Singapore. The country may be an economic marvel, but it leaves a lot to be desired in the democracy department. This was the country that outlawed chewing gum and behaves toward the notion of a free press and individual choice with the level of acceptance the Pope has for satanic rites. So no, it isn’t perfect. But it is kicking Our butt with combat boots as an example of focused talent and economic vision.
The angle here is not “How do we become more like Singapore?”, but “Why them and not Us?”
There is only one starting point, one fundamental difference between Singapore and Puerto Rico that leaves everything else in the proverbial dust: Singapore has autonomy; Puerto Rico does not.
Those of you locals who immediately recoil and think “independentista” can go stick your tongues in the nearest electrical outlet. Autonomy—to be the master of your own fate—is not a concept strictly limited to seeking independence. [In fact, in a later post, The Jenius will argue that there really isn’t and never has been a true independence movement in Puerto Rico.] And again, in fact, Puerto Rico had a greater degree of autonomy in 1898, negotiated with Spain, than it has ever had before or since. So labeling a conclusive fact as “independentista” is simply admitting a bias against the Truth and shows a lack of brains, so let your tongue fry.
For the rest of you, it boils down to this: No one’s self-interest can ever be truly served if the decisions needed to implement the desired changes are in the hands of someone who doesn’t care what that self-interest is. Or if you don’t know where your true self-interest lies.
The problem here is two-fold: The U.S. has never given much thought to Puerto Rico, and at the level of the general population, the vast majority don’t give a damn. They have no reason to. In Puerto Rico, We have thrown away decades of Our lives in pursuit of what We can acquire, but only invested a few seconds to wrestle with what We want to be. One side couldn’t care less, the other side can’t bring itself to care enough.
So. If this isn’t exactly a stand-off, it results in a stand-offish posture concerning “Our Future.” In the meantime, a tiny, tiny island marshalled itself, took aim at some heady goals, and though one can certainly argue with the methods employed to achieve those goals, it is hard to dismiss the ongoing progress shown. They made their choices. They set their goals. They went after them with single-minded determination.
We make no choices. We have no goals. And the only thing We have a single mind about seems to be that “somebody’s gotta fix this mess.”
No.
Not "somebody".
Us.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
28 September 2005
Blogging Wants
Even an avid reader can miss it... Along the right margin of Dave Pollard's extraordinary How To Save The World is a pair of lists. They speak directly to what is needed--wanted--in this blogging process We share as reader and blogger.
See if you agree:
Blog readers want to see more:
• original research, surveys etc.
• original, well-crafted fiction
• great finds: resources, blogs, essays, artistic works
• news not found anywhere else
• category killers: aggregators that capture the best of many blogs/feeds, so they need not be read individually
• clever, concise political opinion (most readers prefer these consistent with their own views)
• benchmarks, quantitative analysis
• personal stories, experiences, lessons learned
• first-hand accounts
• live reports from events
• insight: leading-edge thinking & novel perspectives
• short educational pieces
• relevant "aha" graphics
• great photos
• useful tools and checklists
• précis, summaries, reviews and other time-savers
• fun stuff: quizzes, self-evaluations, other interactive content
Blog writers want to see more:
• constructive criticism, reaction, feedback
• 'thank you' comments, and why readers liked their post
• requests for future posts on specific subjects
• foundation articles: posts that writers can build on, on their own blogs
• reading lists/aggregations of material on specific, leading-edge subjects that writers can use as resource material
• wonderful examples of writing of a particular genre, that they can learn from
• comments that engender lively discussion
• guidance on how to write in the strange world of weblogs
The Jenius Has Quoted.
See if you agree:
Blog readers want to see more:
• original research, surveys etc.
• original, well-crafted fiction
• great finds: resources, blogs, essays, artistic works
• news not found anywhere else
• category killers: aggregators that capture the best of many blogs/feeds, so they need not be read individually
• clever, concise political opinion (most readers prefer these consistent with their own views)
• benchmarks, quantitative analysis
• personal stories, experiences, lessons learned
• first-hand accounts
• live reports from events
• insight: leading-edge thinking & novel perspectives
• short educational pieces
• relevant "aha" graphics
• great photos
• useful tools and checklists
• précis, summaries, reviews and other time-savers
• fun stuff: quizzes, self-evaluations, other interactive content
Blog writers want to see more:
• constructive criticism, reaction, feedback
• 'thank you' comments, and why readers liked their post
• requests for future posts on specific subjects
• foundation articles: posts that writers can build on, on their own blogs
• reading lists/aggregations of material on specific, leading-edge subjects that writers can use as resource material
• wonderful examples of writing of a particular genre, that they can learn from
• comments that engender lively discussion
• guidance on how to write in the strange world of weblogs
The Jenius Has Quoted.
27 September 2005
Genius Thinking
This one's like hanging a curveball to Barry Bonds...
Thinking like a Genius. Capital "G", emphasis added, let's move on.
The post is from The Occupational Adventure, a blog you should be reading if the cubicle you live in now has all the charm of a coffin or if your worklife in general leaves you wanting more. Here, in simple terms, is what Genius does that separates it from, the mundane. Call it "moving up three notches from J to G":
Thinking like a genius
So much of creating the life you want is about moving beyond the tired assumptions and breaking out of the rut. This article, Thinking Like a Genius, offers some ideas for doing just that.
In a nutshell, the ideas are:
1. Look at problems in many different ways, and find new perspectives that no one else has taken (or no one else has publicized!)
2. Visualize!
3. Produce! A distinguishing characteristic of genius is productivity.
4. Make novel combinations. Combine, and recombine, ideas, images, and thoughts into different combinations no matter how incongruent or unusual.
5. Form relationships; make connections between dissimilar subjects.
6. Think in opposites.
7. Think metaphorically.
8. Prepare yourself for chance.
If there's an underlying thread here it is that Genius ignores the common in favor of the uncommon. To a Genius, nothing is set in stone: everything is fluid, in fact, everything has to be fluid, for what's static is dead.
"Make novel combinations...no matter how incongruent or unusual. Think in opposites. Think metaphorically." In other words: dare to think. Don't restrict your thoughts--the only true freedom you will ever have--to what "they" think or believe. "They" are what keeps "Us" back. Children are deemed very creative because they don't know what they are supposed to think; the moment We "teach" them "what to think," We end up with drones, too focused on "fitting in" to have an original thought. Creativity is the key to breakthroughs. Albert Einstein once said: "Problems cannot be solved at the level of thought that created them." You cannot hope to rise above your current level of Life by thinking the same thoughts (or by not thinking).
But above all, point #8 is vital in understanding Genius: Prepare yourself for chance. The best definition of luck is "Preparation meets opportunity." Geniuses make dozens of efforts compared to "normal" people. Geniuses keep learning, probing, trying, discovering, failing, stretching, creating--thinking--long after others have quit. Genius, as Thomas Edison stated, is "...one percent inspiration and 99% perspiration."
Can anyone be a Genius? The Jenius thinks so. But first you have to want to think, observe, imagine, learn and create. You have to be willing to use the mental "muscles" others have had excised by "them" or have allowed to atrophy because "thinking is hard work." Thinking IS hard work. It's why so few people actually do it. And those that do it consistently We call...Geniuses.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Thinking like a Genius. Capital "G", emphasis added, let's move on.
The post is from The Occupational Adventure, a blog you should be reading if the cubicle you live in now has all the charm of a coffin or if your worklife in general leaves you wanting more. Here, in simple terms, is what Genius does that separates it from, the mundane. Call it "moving up three notches from J to G":
Thinking like a genius
So much of creating the life you want is about moving beyond the tired assumptions and breaking out of the rut. This article, Thinking Like a Genius, offers some ideas for doing just that.
In a nutshell, the ideas are:
1. Look at problems in many different ways, and find new perspectives that no one else has taken (or no one else has publicized!)
2. Visualize!
3. Produce! A distinguishing characteristic of genius is productivity.
4. Make novel combinations. Combine, and recombine, ideas, images, and thoughts into different combinations no matter how incongruent or unusual.
5. Form relationships; make connections between dissimilar subjects.
6. Think in opposites.
7. Think metaphorically.
8. Prepare yourself for chance.
If there's an underlying thread here it is that Genius ignores the common in favor of the uncommon. To a Genius, nothing is set in stone: everything is fluid, in fact, everything has to be fluid, for what's static is dead.
"Make novel combinations...no matter how incongruent or unusual. Think in opposites. Think metaphorically." In other words: dare to think. Don't restrict your thoughts--the only true freedom you will ever have--to what "they" think or believe. "They" are what keeps "Us" back. Children are deemed very creative because they don't know what they are supposed to think; the moment We "teach" them "what to think," We end up with drones, too focused on "fitting in" to have an original thought. Creativity is the key to breakthroughs. Albert Einstein once said: "Problems cannot be solved at the level of thought that created them." You cannot hope to rise above your current level of Life by thinking the same thoughts (or by not thinking).
But above all, point #8 is vital in understanding Genius: Prepare yourself for chance. The best definition of luck is "Preparation meets opportunity." Geniuses make dozens of efforts compared to "normal" people. Geniuses keep learning, probing, trying, discovering, failing, stretching, creating--thinking--long after others have quit. Genius, as Thomas Edison stated, is "...one percent inspiration and 99% perspiration."
Can anyone be a Genius? The Jenius thinks so. But first you have to want to think, observe, imagine, learn and create. You have to be willing to use the mental "muscles" others have had excised by "them" or have allowed to atrophy because "thinking is hard work." Thinking IS hard work. It's why so few people actually do it. And those that do it consistently We call...Geniuses.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
26 September 2005
Vi Marie: Infomediary
Take a minute and drop by this site.
Daily Computer & Business News is a project initiated as a one-stop source for business, technology and Internet-related news and it is managed by one woman. Her name is Vi Marie.
Every weekday, Vi Marie scans over 330 feeds to select some 45-60 items of interest and posts them for review. In a sense, hers is the most basic of blogs, a collection of interesting links with a unifying theme.
But what exactly is Vi Marie doing?
1) She is collecting and indexing information for third parties, in essence, fulfilling the role of infomediary.
2) She is teaching herself research skills congruent with most academic, commercial and professional interests.
3) She is learning about the current trends and developments in the chosen topics, ones that serve as springboards for a variety of efforts, from writing to consulting.
4) She has, over time, moved from general "grab bag" postings to more focused "business-oritented" posts. This is important because it not only reflects a personal interest (she is free to select all items), but she has also developed a "feel" for what is most valuable.
5) Based on this "feel," Vi Marie is now able to anticipate what could become important. Her knowledge is now aimed outward, at the "value point" of the blog's reader, who basically represents the average business person.
Daily Computer & Business News is as simple as a list... and as complex as a library. It is the product of one woman with a method and the discipline to keep the process going every day. Vi Marie is sharing knowledge in time-saving fashion, a valuable service in this day and age of chaotic overload. But the ultimate benefit will be in her hands, as she begins to act on what she can see over the horizon better than the rest of Us.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Daily Computer & Business News is a project initiated as a one-stop source for business, technology and Internet-related news and it is managed by one woman. Her name is Vi Marie.
Every weekday, Vi Marie scans over 330 feeds to select some 45-60 items of interest and posts them for review. In a sense, hers is the most basic of blogs, a collection of interesting links with a unifying theme.
But what exactly is Vi Marie doing?
1) She is collecting and indexing information for third parties, in essence, fulfilling the role of infomediary.
2) She is teaching herself research skills congruent with most academic, commercial and professional interests.
3) She is learning about the current trends and developments in the chosen topics, ones that serve as springboards for a variety of efforts, from writing to consulting.
4) She has, over time, moved from general "grab bag" postings to more focused "business-oritented" posts. This is important because it not only reflects a personal interest (she is free to select all items), but she has also developed a "feel" for what is most valuable.
5) Based on this "feel," Vi Marie is now able to anticipate what could become important. Her knowledge is now aimed outward, at the "value point" of the blog's reader, who basically represents the average business person.
Daily Computer & Business News is as simple as a list... and as complex as a library. It is the product of one woman with a method and the discipline to keep the process going every day. Vi Marie is sharing knowledge in time-saving fashion, a valuable service in this day and age of chaotic overload. But the ultimate benefit will be in her hands, as she begins to act on what she can see over the horizon better than the rest of Us.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
24 September 2005
Government As Purgatory
It seems another weekend post is called for...
Aníbal Freytes calls himself The Information Soldier. A recent post of his speaks about something The Jenius will never know: working for the government of Puerto Rico.
After describing his early work experiences leading up to his first forays into government work, Mr. Freytes makes very clear he loves to work and works hard. Then comes this:
Now. I've changed jobs. Still in the government but it has changed...
Now, I try to get to my job as early as possible. Because, then I can leave as early as possible...
I hate myself for doing that, I hate myself for feeling this way. I hate myself for what I have become. Just another government employee. I used to look on "government employees" with disdain. In my mind, I was a "public servant". The difference being that a public servant is committed to do the best possible for Puerto Rico; meanwhile I reinforced in my mind the public view that government employees where there just for busywork and a paycheck.
I would like to get back in the private sector. I've sent out dozens of resumes. Precious few calls for interviews. No calls to offer something definite... I would love to return to the days when I got home fully spent, but happy; instead of brain-dulled and self-hating.
Some people get fired, others "quit", some more leave. Some have something to hang on to, others don't.
I fear... and grow desperate.
The information soldier is tired of feeling he can't ever win...
Wanting to get out of the office as early as possible... brain-dulled... self-hating... a growing feeling of desperation and hopelessness... This is misery. Tell Me this isn't a modern form of slavery, indentured servitude as "the Puerto Rican dream of security and easy living."
Mr. Freytes deserves better. In some small way, We need to make sure he--and the rest of Us--receive better.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Aníbal Freytes calls himself The Information Soldier. A recent post of his speaks about something The Jenius will never know: working for the government of Puerto Rico.
After describing his early work experiences leading up to his first forays into government work, Mr. Freytes makes very clear he loves to work and works hard. Then comes this:
Now. I've changed jobs. Still in the government but it has changed...
Now, I try to get to my job as early as possible. Because, then I can leave as early as possible...
I hate myself for doing that, I hate myself for feeling this way. I hate myself for what I have become. Just another government employee. I used to look on "government employees" with disdain. In my mind, I was a "public servant". The difference being that a public servant is committed to do the best possible for Puerto Rico; meanwhile I reinforced in my mind the public view that government employees where there just for busywork and a paycheck.
I would like to get back in the private sector. I've sent out dozens of resumes. Precious few calls for interviews. No calls to offer something definite... I would love to return to the days when I got home fully spent, but happy; instead of brain-dulled and self-hating.
Some people get fired, others "quit", some more leave. Some have something to hang on to, others don't.
I fear... and grow desperate.
The information soldier is tired of feeling he can't ever win...
Wanting to get out of the office as early as possible... brain-dulled... self-hating... a growing feeling of desperation and hopelessness... This is misery. Tell Me this isn't a modern form of slavery, indentured servitude as "the Puerto Rican dream of security and easy living."
Mr. Freytes deserves better. In some small way, We need to make sure he--and the rest of Us--receive better.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
23 September 2005
Techno Sapiens: "Brand You"
It's time to go back to the fertile well that is Tom Peters...
For years, this eminent business savant has been trumpeting a simple idea: You are a brand.
Let's define the term: A brand represents the holistic sum of all information about a product... This symbolic construct typically consists of a name, identifying mark, logo, visual images or symbols, or mental concepts which distinguishes the product or service.
If you object to being called a product, call yourself a service, or a package, or a unique entity. It doesn't matter: what's thought of you constitutes a brand.
What does Tom Peters mean by "Brand You"? That your ultimate success will be based on how you develop that "mental construct" others have of you. Think of it as "reputation" combined with "marketing", who you are combined with how you present yourself.
Why is this concept so important? Because your level of success is not in anybody else's hands but your own. You either accept that and act upon it or you let Fate, whims, enemies or indifference slap you around.
So how do you develop "Brand You"? You follow those rules you learned as a child: read, learn, practice, imagine, create, ask questions, don't let not knowing slow you down, figure out what you like to do most and do more of that, find ways to get rewarded, keep your nose and hands clean, remember your manners and be a good friend.
Some of you read that short paragraph and mentally give up. It's too hard, you whine internally. Shut up. If success were easy, we'd all be superstars. Success begins with the acceptance that it belongs to you if you accept it depends only on you. Not "them." Not "luck." You.
So since your success depends on you, how can you let anything or anybody else determine your future? You have to constantly be aware that your growth is the key to becoming the success you want to be, so that anything that stifles or curtails that growth is wrong.
Prepare. Communicate. Analyze the results of your actions. Learn. Grow. As you improve, and you will, your success will become greater. It's the truest and strongest path to success We humans ever have. Why settle for less?
The Jenius Has Spoken.
For years, this eminent business savant has been trumpeting a simple idea: You are a brand.
Let's define the term: A brand represents the holistic sum of all information about a product... This symbolic construct typically consists of a name, identifying mark, logo, visual images or symbols, or mental concepts which distinguishes the product or service.
If you object to being called a product, call yourself a service, or a package, or a unique entity. It doesn't matter: what's thought of you constitutes a brand.
What does Tom Peters mean by "Brand You"? That your ultimate success will be based on how you develop that "mental construct" others have of you. Think of it as "reputation" combined with "marketing", who you are combined with how you present yourself.
Why is this concept so important? Because your level of success is not in anybody else's hands but your own. You either accept that and act upon it or you let Fate, whims, enemies or indifference slap you around.
So how do you develop "Brand You"? You follow those rules you learned as a child: read, learn, practice, imagine, create, ask questions, don't let not knowing slow you down, figure out what you like to do most and do more of that, find ways to get rewarded, keep your nose and hands clean, remember your manners and be a good friend.
Some of you read that short paragraph and mentally give up. It's too hard, you whine internally. Shut up. If success were easy, we'd all be superstars. Success begins with the acceptance that it belongs to you if you accept it depends only on you. Not "them." Not "luck." You.
So since your success depends on you, how can you let anything or anybody else determine your future? You have to constantly be aware that your growth is the key to becoming the success you want to be, so that anything that stifles or curtails that growth is wrong.
Prepare. Communicate. Analyze the results of your actions. Learn. Grow. As you improve, and you will, your success will become greater. It's the truest and strongest path to success We humans ever have. Why settle for less?
The Jenius Has Spoken.
22 September 2005
"How?"
How are you going to get out of the way?
No matter how effective or powerful a person, company or institution becomes, there comes a time when he, she or it stops being a force for progress and becomes a wall for stasis.
Verizon: You used the acquisition of a de facto monopoly (the Puerto Rico Telephone Company) to strangle the development of communications services, particularly those related to the Internet. Those lawsuits have dragged on for years, while the "100% digital" framework Puerto Rico was the first to have in the world became a fetid shadow of what it could have been. How are you going to get out of the way?
El Nuevo Día: Built on money rather than journalistic fundamentals, this under-informed, over-sold and ill-met vanity press takes any action it can copy to extend its influence and attempt to protect its revenue base. The Fourth Estate as General Ledger. Journalism in the trunk of a financial vehicle. How are you going to get out of the way?
The Center for the New Economy: Despite gathering a veritable stable of "names," this misnamed group has never been powerful or even influential. Recently the creator of "studies" any high-school graduate could have given the answers to in less than 10 minutes, the "CNE" brings together walls to form barriers. How are you going to get out of the way?
Fomento: The nickname for a hodge-podge mix of "economic development agencies," it is a living example of "too many ditchdiggers spoil the broth": riddled with myopic bean counters and pea-brained paper-pushers when what is needed is vision and execution. Imagine a blind octupus with eight very clumsy arms...and no brain. Try teaching it to type. Welcome to Fomento. How are you going to get out of the way?
Note that the question ignores "when" in favor of "how." To ask "when" is to waste time. To ask "how" is to place the burden of acknowledging their uselessness and their need to act squarely where it belongs. It implies action, the search for progress.
Many, if not all of the entities to whom the question is posed, will deny it applies to them in any way. They may be right, in the sense that maybe the moon is made of cheese. They may be incapable of coming up with a way of removing themselves as obstacles, even if they recognize being one. That would be like asking a rock to tapdance.
So, if they don't see it and they can't get out of the way, then what's the point of asking the question?
The Jenius thinks--hopes--you will see the answer. And start acting on it immediately... because the opportunities are there.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
No matter how effective or powerful a person, company or institution becomes, there comes a time when he, she or it stops being a force for progress and becomes a wall for stasis.
Verizon: You used the acquisition of a de facto monopoly (the Puerto Rico Telephone Company) to strangle the development of communications services, particularly those related to the Internet. Those lawsuits have dragged on for years, while the "100% digital" framework Puerto Rico was the first to have in the world became a fetid shadow of what it could have been. How are you going to get out of the way?
El Nuevo Día: Built on money rather than journalistic fundamentals, this under-informed, over-sold and ill-met vanity press takes any action it can copy to extend its influence and attempt to protect its revenue base. The Fourth Estate as General Ledger. Journalism in the trunk of a financial vehicle. How are you going to get out of the way?
The Center for the New Economy: Despite gathering a veritable stable of "names," this misnamed group has never been powerful or even influential. Recently the creator of "studies" any high-school graduate could have given the answers to in less than 10 minutes, the "CNE" brings together walls to form barriers. How are you going to get out of the way?
Fomento: The nickname for a hodge-podge mix of "economic development agencies," it is a living example of "too many ditchdiggers spoil the broth": riddled with myopic bean counters and pea-brained paper-pushers when what is needed is vision and execution. Imagine a blind octupus with eight very clumsy arms...and no brain. Try teaching it to type. Welcome to Fomento. How are you going to get out of the way?
Note that the question ignores "when" in favor of "how." To ask "when" is to waste time. To ask "how" is to place the burden of acknowledging their uselessness and their need to act squarely where it belongs. It implies action, the search for progress.
Many, if not all of the entities to whom the question is posed, will deny it applies to them in any way. They may be right, in the sense that maybe the moon is made of cheese. They may be incapable of coming up with a way of removing themselves as obstacles, even if they recognize being one. That would be like asking a rock to tapdance.
So, if they don't see it and they can't get out of the way, then what's the point of asking the question?
The Jenius thinks--hopes--you will see the answer. And start acting on it immediately... because the opportunities are there.
The Jenius Has Spoken.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)